NL DIVISION SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS DODGERS

October 7, 2023

Torey Lovullo

Dodger Stadium

Arizona Diamondbacks

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Diamondbacks - 11, Dodgers - 2

Q. What did you think of the way your guys came out in the first inning swinging?

TOREY LOVULLO: First of all, I couldn't be more proud of our guys. We talked about making a statement individually and collectively from the first batter on, and they did a great job.

And it's all to me about preparation. Our guys are hungry. They have played meaningful baseball games for the past month. I don't think they're feeling a ton of pressure. They just went out there and did what they do best, and the way they prep is what showed up for me today.

We came out and we were ready to play from the first pitch until the last one. Very impressive.

Q. For Merrill to do what he did after being staked to that six-run lead. How difficult was that and what did you see in the way he navigated that?

TOREY LOVULLO: First of all, I had to answer a lot of questions about Merrill over past couple of days with the way the Dodgers have banged him around in the stadium. I think he had a mindset going into this that he wasn't going to let anything like that happen to him again.

I think he took it personal. And he went out there executed at a very, very high level. There was a ton of swing and miss with the secondary stuff -- I wouldn't say a ton of swing and miss, but there were swing and misses with the secondary stuff.

He was ahead in counts, and I think he controlled counts and controlled at-bats as good as we've seen him all year long.

You worry about a couple of things. You get out to that type of a lead, you wonder if there's going to be a letdown. There's long innings, but he went out there and did an unbelievable job of attacking hitters and keeping that score right where it was supposed to be and let us tack on a couple more.

I took him out of the game. I had a chance to keep going with him a little bit, but I told him, I want to preserve every pitch I possibly can. We're up 10-0 and it doesn't make a lot of sense to ask you to go any further than this. And he understood.

Q. Looked like he did understand, but he wanted to keep going. What's that say about him?

TOREY LOVULLO: That's who he is at his core. He doesn't like coming out in the middle of innings. I don't think any starting pitcher does, elite, top-shelf starting pitcher. They want to finish the innings and walk off the mound.

I know that was about him. I wasn't surprised about his reaction. Once I talked to him a little bit about it he was on board with it. He did his job. He did his job in a fine way.

Q. Asking Doc this, too, on the other end of it, but seems like we're getting a pattern here in the last two postseasons. Last year three of the four teams that won over 100 lost. Tonight three teams that won 100 lost. The home teams, three out of the four lost. You guys having played during the week, coming in sharp, and you've got teams that sit around and won their divisions sitting around for five or six days. From your end of it, would you rather have it the way you had it and come in to the NLDS like this?

TOREY LOVULLO: For sure. I can only speak on one side of it. I've never been in the seat that the best records have been in where you have a bye and it is a five- or six-day wait.

We went to Milwaukee. We ramped up the intensity. We kept it there. And I think when we came out in the first inning we made that statement that I was talking about.

So that's what I can say. I just know how we're preparing. We did have a couple of days off and I think it was good for this team to get a little bit of a mental blow. But fundamentally and physically they were locked in and ready to go.

And in every facet of the game. It was the hitting that made the statement. We were picking up the baseball. And then Merrill clearly went out there and executed a really fine game plan. That was the recipe for me today.

Now I only know what side of it. I don't know what's going on with the Dodgers or the Braves or the Orioles and who else, I'm forgetting right now.

Q. The Astros are the only home team --

TOREY LOVULLO: The Astros the other team. I can't speak on their behalf.

Q. Kershaw, you see these guys 13 times already this year. It's a repeat thing. The Padres did last year too and they beat them. What kind of plan did you have on Kershaw, because it seemed to be right out aggressive, just swing at his first or second pitches?

TOREY LOVULLO: I know we're going to probably get another, potentially can get another shot at him. So I don't want to talk necessarily too much about the game plan. I know that he's going to obviously see it from the top of the pitcher's mound and understand what we were doing and make some adjustments.

But I just think Kershaw's had a lot of success against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and we're a hungry team. We're a hungry team. And we have a really good game plan and we were stubborn to it. And it showed up with some really well-executed at-bats.

As I said, it's Clayton Kershaw. We potentially will see him in Game 5. I don't want to initially go into the game plan was.

Q. (Indiscernible) Game 4.

TOREY LOVULLO: You're right. Game 4.

Q. You talked about this briefly that your pitcher was being aggressive even with that 6-0 lead and extended. But is there, can you talk about the delicate balance? You do play a bit differently and maybe pitch a little bit differently when you have such a big lead. Am I correct? It's not identical. Where is it different?

TOREY LOVULLO: You'll get a chance to hopefully talk to Merrill about that. But I think for me it's the mental strength that Merrill showed. I think it's mostly a mentality.

His stuff is his stuff. It's him blocking out the black noise in between innings, finding a way to keep his body warm and stay engaged from a mental standpoint. Merrill has tremendous mental toughness. I've seen that from him for the past five years.

I wasn't doubting that he could or couldn't. I knew that he would be able to stay engaged and make pitches despite those long layoffs.

I know exactly what you're saying. What's that balance? He could probably give you a better snapshot. But I've seen him walk through this before, and I felt very comfortable knowing he would be able to go out and execute.

Q. There was a lot made about facing this team, playing in the stadium, some of the struggles you guys have had against them. You mentioned the preparation earlier how you felt prepared. How did that play into you being able to do what you did coming straight out of the gate tonight?

TOREY LOVULLO: I think it was everything for us. You get on the stage, every team's good. Everybody's hungry. Everybody's ready to go to the best of their ability.

But I just think this team was very focused. We had meetings yesterday at the hotel. Had meetings today. We talked about what our game plan was going to be, and I watched this group go out and execute it to a tee.

So to me, one thing is about gaining the knowledge and understanding what you have to do when you step into the arena. And part two is the players taking it over and executing it.

They executed at a really high level today. We checked off a lot of pitches. Three innings, two pitchers had thrown 100 pitches at us and one of them being Clayton Kershaw. I couldn't be more proud of our guys for that.